Furniture upholstery spring securing bracket

ABSTRACT

A bracket device is illustrated for enabling the furniture upholstery professtional or the furniture owner to replace a defective bracket and zig-zag spring arrangement, common to upholstered furniture, without removing the fabric covering and padding, wherein a lower flat shank portion has holes which receives screws for mounting the bracket to an inner vertical wall of the frame rail and wherein the upper part of the bracket has a hook portion for receiving and containing an end of the zig-zag spring, a locking pin having an eye formed at the lower end thereof being provided for receiving a screw for holding the locking pin in place with said bracket on said frame.

United States Patent [191 Bible 51 June 24, 1975 FURNITURE UPl-IOLSTERY SPRING SECURING BRACKET {76] Inventor: Kenneth G. Bible, 20! Butler Dr.,

Greenville. SC. 296i l [221 Filed: Sept. 23. 1974 211 Appl. No.: 508.189

[52] US. Cl. 267/ll0; 267/1 10; 267/l03 [51] Int. Cl. Fl6F 3/02 [58] Field at Search 267/110. H1. 112. I03

[56] Reierences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.652.885 J/l953 Engel 267/103 3358.858 i/l975 Higbca .v 267/l l0 Primary li.mminerlames B. Marbert Attorney. Agent or Firm-Bailey & Dority [57] ABSTRACT A bracket device is illustrated for enabling the furniture upholstery professtional or the furniture owner to replace a defective bracket and zig-zag spring arrangement, common to upholstered furniture, without removing the fabric covering and padding wherein a lower flat shank portion has holes which receives screws for mounting the bracket to an inner vertical wall of the frame rail and wherein the upper part of the bracket has a hook portion for receiving and containing an end of the zig-zag spring. a locking pin having an eye formed at the lower end thereof being provided for receiving a screw for holding the locking pin in place with said bracket on said frame.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUN 2 4 1915 FURNITURE UPHOLSTERY SPRING SECURING BRACKET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the repair of chairs, sofas, or other furniture items constructed with zig-zag springs, considerable effort must be expended in removing the upper upholstery fabric and the underlying padding in order to gain access to a broken spring or a broken clip which holds the spring. The clips used in prior devices, such as illustrated in U.S. Letters Pat. No. 3,096,086 to secure the spring strips to the frame of the furniture have been mounted on the top surface of the frame member over which the upholstery fabric and padding are attached. In the case of a broken spring or clip, it has been necessary to remove the upper upholstery fabric and padding in order to gain access to the clips which are mounted beneath. This is both a troublesome and timeconsuming process and also involves the danger of damaging the fabric material which is sometimes irreplaceable.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a spring securing bracket which will enable the upholstering professional or the furniture owner to replace the brackets which hold the zigzag springs common to most pieces of upholstered furniture without removing the upper fabric covering and padding of the furniture.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a bracket for securing a spring strip which can be installed in a matter of minutes instead of hours, by the average furniture owner.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a bracket for securing a spring strip and which can be installed without the danger of damaging the irreplaceable upper upholstery fabric in gaining access to a broken spring or clip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has been found that a bracket for securing a spring strip may be provided for enabling the upholstering professional or the furniture owner to replace the bracket which holds a zig-zag spring without removing the upper upholstery fabric covering and padding. The bracket comprises a lower shank portion having holes formed therein for receiving suitable fastening means for mounting said brackets to the interior vertical side surface of a frame rail member. The upper portion of the bracket has formed therein a hook portion for receiving one end of the spring and having formed therein a pair of vertically aligned openings for receiving an end of a locking pin. The lower end of the locking pin has an eye portion which receives a screw, or other suitable fastening means for holding the locking pin in place with said bracket on the frame. The locking pin and the hook portion cooperate to effectively contain an end of the spring. The bracket can be easily installed by merely turning the furniture item upside down. attaching the bracket to the inside surface and clipping the spring into place, eliminating the need to remove the upper upholstery fabric and padding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described. together with other fea tures thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view with parts omitted illustrating a spring strip secured with brackets constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation further illustrating brackets for securing a spring strip constructed in accordance with the present invention, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the bracket and locking member constructed in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The drawing illustrates a bracket for securing a spring strip beneath upper upholstery fabric and padding to a wooden furniture frame rail member having a substantially vertical interior side surface accessable from the bottom of the frame.

A straight flat lower shank portion A has spaced holes formed therein for receiving fastening means mounting the bracket to the interior vertical side surface of the rail member. An upper substantially U- shaped hook portion B has one leg integral with said shank portion and another leg thereabove extending substantially on one side of the shank portion remote from the frame members and forming an opening above the frame members for receiving one end of the spring strip. A locking means C is provided for containing one end of the spring strip received in the hook portion. Thus, the bracket can be easily attached to the interior vertical side surface from the bottom of the fu rniture frame without removing the upper fabric and padding therefrom for securing said spring strip across the frame member.

The furniture frame member is illustrated as a chair frame 10, and a zig-zag spring I] is attached to a vertical interior side surface 10a using a bracket constructed in accordance with the present invention. The spring 11 is attached to an opposite side of the frame 10 using a similar bracket.

The lower shank portion A includes two holes I2 and 13 through which suitable fastening means such as screws I4 and 15, respectively.

The upper hook portion B of the bracket is substantially U-shaped. One leg 16 is integral with the shank portion A and another leg 17 thereabove extends substantially on one side of the shank portion A remote from the frame member forming an opening 18 just above the frame member as illustrated. The legs 16 and 17 are joined by the bight 19 of the hook portion.

The bracket may be formed of fourteen gauge steel or other suitable material, and is approximately 3% inches long and inches wide with holes formed therein. The holes may be drilled or punched after the bracket has been formed into shank and hook portions.

The legs 16 and I7 have a pair of aligned openings 20 and 21 therein. The locking means C also includes a pin member 22 which passes through the opening in locking position across the opening I8 in the hook portion B. The pin member has an eye portion 23 for receiving the fastening means such as the screw 14 therethrough for holding the pin member in locking position and for fastening the shank portion A to the frame member 10.

The bracket may be used as the original bracket equipment in manufacturing furniture, or may be used to replace broken springs and broken brackets in re pairing used furniture. When used as a repair bracket, it has the particular advantage of being easily installed without removing the upper fabric material 24 and padding 25 which cover the seat frame and which normally have to be removed to gain access to replace the broken part. As illustrated, the fabric is normally fastened on an underside of the frame as by tacks 26 which also must otherwise be removed. In use, the seat frame or other furniture item to be repaired is merely turned upside down and the broken spring or bracket is removed, if necessary. If a broken clip or bracket is mounted on the top horizontal portion of the seat frame in the conventional manner, it may usually be pried off from the underneath portion. However, it probably is not neces sary as a bracket hereof is installed on the interior vertical surface of the frame rail. The bracket is first affixed to frame as by securing the upper screw after which an end of the zig-zag spring which is deformed inwardly as at 11b is inserted into the hook portion of the bracket. The installation is completed by inserting the locking pin through vertically spaced holes and 21 and then fastening the eye portion in place by insertion of the lowermost screw 14 which further holds bracket to the inside of the seat frame. The end of spring is thus securedly and permanently held in place by hook portion and the locking pin passing therethrough, against any outward thrust tending to dislodge the spring. The deformation llb at the ends of the spring is normally sufficient for this purpose but such does tend to become dislodged after prolonged use, especially when the spring has a convex configuration as illustrated. The deformed end portion of the spring contributes to make replacement of a broken spring impossible when utilizing conventional clips positioned directly beneath the fabric and padding.

Because of the greatly simplified repair process afforded by the present bracket, the furniture owner is able to perform his own repair job, and the necessity of having to take the chair, sofa and the like to a professional upholstery shop is ended. The bracket can be installed in minutes instead of hours in eliminating the need to remove the upper upholstery materials. and in addition, the danger of damaging irreplaceable fabric in gaining access to the broken clip or spring is elimi' nated. Not only is a savings of time and money afforded to the furniture iwner. but to furniture upholsterers and manufacturing companies themselves.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bracket for securing a spring strip beneath upper upholstery fabric and padding to a wooden furniture frame rail member having interior side surface accessible from the bottom of the frame comprising:

a. a straight flat lower shank portion having spaced holes formed therein for receiving fastening means mounting said bracket to the interior vertical side surface of said rail member;

b. an upper substantially U-shaped hook portion having one leg integral with said shank portion and another leg thereabove extending substantially on one side of said shank portion remote from said frame member forming an opening for receiving one end of said spring strip; and

c. locking means for containing one end of said spring strip received in said hook portion;

whereby said bracket can be easily attached to said interior vertical side surface from the bottom of said furniture frame without removing the upper fabric and padding therefrom for securing said spring strip across the frame member.

2. The structure set forth in claim I, wherein said legs have a pair of aligned openings therein, and wherein said locking means includes a pin member passing through said openings in locking position across said opening in said hook portion.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein said pin member has an eye portion for receiving fastening means therethrough for holding said pin member in locking position and for fastening said shank portion to said frame member. 

1. A bracket for securing a spring strip beneath upper upholstery fabric and padding to a wooden furniture frame rail member having interior side surface accessible from the bottom of the frame comprising: a. a straight flat lower shank portion having spaced holes formed therein for receiving fastening means mounting said bracket to the interior vertical side surface of said rail member; b. an upper substantially U-shaped hook portion having one leg integral with said shank portion and another leg thereabove extending substantially on one side of said shank portion remote from said frame member forming an opening for receiving one end of said spring strip; and c. locking means for containing one end of said spring strip received in said hook portion; whereby said bracket can be easily attached to said interior vertical side surface from the bottom of said furniture frame without removing the upper fabric and padding therefrom for securing said spring strip across the frame member.
 2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said legs have a pair of aligned openings therein, and wherein said locking means includes a pin member passing through said openings in locking position across said opening in said hook portion.
 3. The structure set forth in claim 2, wherein said pin member has an eye portion for receiving fastening means therethrough for holding said pin member in locking position and for fastening said shank portion to said frame member. 